MRSA (Flesh Eating Disease) on the Loose

“[MRSA] can move all over,” epidemiologist and senior author of the study Tara Smith of Iowa told KCRG, a local ABC affiliate in Iowa. “It
extends beyond your typical human environment: hospitals, gyms, homes. It can also be in the wild environment,” she added, and “animals can be
reservoirs and transmit it to people.”

Flesh Eating Disease (MRSA) developed in hospitals and used to be confined there. Then it spread into gyms, locker rooms and homes and became
"community-acquired." Then it became a "sexually transmitted disease." Now, it's loose in the world - in wild animals and birds, pets, livestock and
dolphins. As the article says, "many scientists speculate that drug-resistant germs from farms or clinics could spread through sewage, water runoff,
or trash."

This is scary stuff - I personally know one man who died after getting scratched while travelling and a woman who lost all the flesh on her leg after
getting infected at home.

The initial presentation of MRSA is small red bumps that resemble pimples, spider bites, or boils; they may be accompanied by fever and, occasionally,
rashes. Within a few days, the bumps become larger and more painful; they eventually open into deep, pus-filled boils.[3] About 75 percent of
community-associated (CA-) MRSA infections are localized to skin and soft tissue and usually can be treated effectively[citation needed]. But some
CA-MRSA strains display enhanced virulence, spreading more rapidly and causing illness much more severe than traditional healthcare-associated (HA-)
MRSA infections, and they can affect vital organs and lead to widespread infection (sepsis), toxic shock syndrome, and necrotizing ("flesh-eating")
pneumonia.

…The most common manifestations of CA-MRSA are skin infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis and pyomyositis (most commonly found in the tropics),
necrotizing pneumonia, infective endocarditis (which affects the valves of the heart), and bone and joint infections.[5] CA-MRSA often results in
abscess formation that requires incision and drainage.

MRSA is not the flesh eating disease that makes so many headlines. It is dangerous for sure....but it lives on your skin.

The real threat, and flesh eater, is strep. Yup, that same infection that gives you a sore throat. That is where the risk is. MRSA is typically a
threat to someone with a decreased immune system. Strep, however, is what has been in the headlines.

Well over 90% of MRSA cases are untreated and unreported. They are skin lesions or boils suffered by people who have hidradenitis suppurativa. At
any moment a person with this disease can have a dozen boils, each smelling of rotting flesh and draining a grayish/brownish pus. Or just a simple
serosanguinous fluid (clear/amber/orange). This is, in my opinion, grossly undiagnosed in a large portion of people with varying degrees of severity
of the disease. Most overweight people have a degree of it.

A majority of those left are suffered by those with severely comprimised immune systems, like nursing home patients. The MRSA infects already sicken
tissue (like bed sores).

We had a battle with MRSA several years back. 3 out of 4 people in the house had it after being unknowingly exposed by a kid that spent the night.
MRSA is a variety of staph infection that is VERY contagious and highly resistant to antibiotics. It took almost a year to get rid of it (albeit not
permanently because it continues to live in the body and can come back if your immune system gets weak) and it even put my husband in the hospital on
I.V. antibiotics. It took numerous rounds of different combinations of medicines to get rid of it, and endless hours upon hours of cleaning and
sterilizing every surface in the house, cars, etc.

MRSA is not the same as the flesh eating bacteria, but it is tough and can kill you if it goes untreated.

6 or 7 years ago in my meth addiction days i noticed that this disease loves a weak immune system.
Many users around me and myself seemed to be a hot spot for legions very similar to a brown recluse bite.
A healthy body most of the time can defeat this.

However do not underestimate the ability of this infection to adapt and try to overcome.

I personally have had two bouts with MRSA. The first bout put me in the hospital on IV medications for 3 days and an additional 14 days of oral
antibiotics that had some horrendous side effects that I suffered from, the least of which was "dry mouth". I was less than 72 hours into the
infection when I was hospitalized, and during treatment my blood pressure "bottomed out" several times due to the medication and I was literally on
death's door for the first 48 hours.

The second bout was less than a year later, and put me in the hospital for 2 days on IV medications, and an additional 14 days of oral antibiotics.
The second time, the infection spread much quicker, less than 24 hours.

This infection is nothing to play with, and almost always requires hospitalization with IV antibiotics and close medical supervision for anything more
than a "surface" or very mild case, and each subsequent infection moves more quickly through the system, and requires a higher dose of IV drugs for
each subsequent infection if it occurs within 3 years.

I was told by medical staff, and not widely known or distributed information, that it takes your body 3 years to "recover" from the damage that the
antibiotics do to your system.

Contrary to what has been stated here, it does not "only affect people with compromised immune systems". However, they are the ones that are most
likely to die from this infection or suffer serious consequences from it in a very short period of time.

Other than advanced arthritis in my hip, I am in good health, and take care of myself. If I had a compromised immune system, I most likely would have
died, or lost my arm (first instance) or my foot/leg (second instance).

Originally posted by scarybear
That thing sure is scary stuff... I used to think hiking in the woods was OK, not sure about that now...

It's spread all over, not only in the
US...

If you want to see an extreme case, search for "Ms Karunawathi"... Be warned, though!

I think that their is more danger catching it from a human than hiking in the woods.
More than likely a human that has been dealing with it would carry a mutation that is more potent than what is found just about everywhere in
nature.

The difference between MRSA and Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh eating disease) is that the Staphyloccoccus aureus bacteria in MRSA is "antibiotic
resistant", thus it's name Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The difference between MRSA and Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh eating disease) is that the Staphyloccoccus aureus bacteria in MRSA is "antibiotic
resistant", thus it's name Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Strep and Staph are two completely different entities. Staph is a bug that has this hard golden shell (hence the "aureous" in its name) that prevents
efficacy in many common antibiotics as a treatment.

Strep is a completely different animal GAS, or Group A Strep, cause all manner of illnesses like impetigo, meningitis (the very deadly bacterial
form), and sinusitus (very common in the same time of year as strep throat).

They are not the same. They are similar int he same way that cats and dogs are similar. But two completely different bugs that cause two completely
different sets of disease process.

ETA: MRSA= Methicillin Resistant Staphococcous Aureous. Not Streptococcous. There are not many drug resistent straints of strep, thank god. It is
quite a nasty bug.

MRSA might be resistant to Methicillian, but it does respond to... silver. I know of two cases where MRSA was cured with 22ppm silver gel. I was one
of them. I got it after slamming my elbow on a counter. My elbow was the size of a tennis ball by that night. Then the red, swollen tissue began it's
march down and up my arm. I, being nurse, immediatly started Rocephin IM. It just kept getting worse. I was REALLY worried, Iknew I could lose me
arm!
So, my wife went to the health food store and asked the guy what to do. He sold her some silver, and told her the story of another guy who was in the
hospital and the silver cured him. So I trieed it. 12 hours later, the redness and swelling was 50% gone. In three days, totally gone. All I did was
rub it in wice a day.
I also have seen studies that show that MRSA can't live on silver surfaces. Some toilets are impregnated with silver as well.
I'm never without a tube of silver around the house now.
And the big upside is MRSA doesn't get resistant to silver.
The medical establishment is starting to cathc on. In my practice I've seen honey and coconut oil impregnated wound dressings.

Originally posted by davjan4
MRSA might be resistant to Methicillian, but it does respond to... silver. I know of two cases where MRSA was cured with 22ppm silver gel. I was one
of them. I got it after slamming my elbow on a counter. My elbow was the size of a tennis ball by that night. Then the red, swollen tissue began it's
march down and up my arm. I, being nurse, immediatly started Rocephin IM. It just kept getting worse. I was REALLY worried, Iknew I could lose me
arm!
So, my wife went to the health food store and asked the guy what to do. He sold her some silver, and told her the story of another guy who was in the
hospital and the silver cured him. So I trieed it. 12 hours later, the redness and swelling was 50% gone. In three days, totally gone. All I did was
rub it in wice a day.
I also have seen studies that show that MRSA can't live on silver surfaces. Some toilets are impregnated with silver as well.
I'm never without a tube of silver around the house now.
And the big upside is MRSA doesn't get resistant to silver.
The medical establishment is starting to cathc on. In my practice I've seen honey and coconut oil impregnated wound dressings.

This lady i know, and personally despise, is probably the best nurse I have ever met. Especially as a gerontological nurse. She swore by Silvadene
cream on wound care for her elderly patients. Sometimes it goes by the name Thermazene. It is expensive as hell, but it is a great, great wound
curing agent (instant relief for diaper rash). She said "it helps with epithelialization of the skin cells", whatever that means. I CAN say that
it was the best wound care medication I have ever seen, especially on the MRSA infected decubitis.

I don't believe in colloidol silver But I do belief in silver sulfadiazene.

Though most MRSA infections aren't serious, some can be life-threatening. Many public health experts are alarmed by the spread of tough strains
of MRSA. Because it's hard to treat, MRSA is sometimes called a "super bug."

Originally posted by davjan4
MRSA might be resistant to Methicillian, but it does respond to... silver. I know of two cases where MRSA was cured with 22ppm silver gel. I was one
of them. I got it after slamming my elbow on a counter. My elbow was the size of a tennis ball by that night. Then the red, swollen tissue began it's
march down and up my arm. I, being nurse, immediatly started Rocephin IM. It just kept getting worse. I was REALLY worried, Iknew I could lose me
arm!
So, my wife went to the health food store and asked the guy what to do. He sold her some silver, and told her the story of another guy who was in the
hospital and the silver cured him. So I trieed it. 12 hours later, the redness and swelling was 50% gone. In three days, totally gone. All I did was
rub it in wice a day.
I also have seen studies that show that MRSA can't live on silver surfaces. Some toilets are impregnated with silver as well.
I'm never without a tube of silver around the house now.
And the big upside is MRSA doesn't get resistant to silver.
The medical establishment is starting to cathc on. In my practice I've seen honey and coconut oil impregnated wound dressings.

This lady i know, and personally despise, is probably the best nurse I have ever met. Especially as a gerontological nurse. She swore by Silvadene
cream on wound care for her elderly patients. Sometimes it goes by the name Thermazene. It is expensive as hell, but it is a great, great wound
curing agent (instant relief for diaper rash). She said "it helps with epithelialization of the skin cells", whatever that means. I CAN say that
it was the best wound care medication I have ever seen, especially on the MRSA infected decubitis.

I don't believe in colloidol silver But I do belief in silver sulfadiazene.

Silvadene cream is typically used in burn wounds. We also used it in surgical dressings. No matter the form though. Colloidal silver, 22ppm silver gel
suspended in aloe, silvadene... it's the silver that does it. There just needs to be enough of it, and I foudn the 22ppm (parts per million) worked
well.

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